Synopsis of Week’s Training:
Oh, the joys of the really lengthy long run. With the Old Pueblo 50 on Saturday, I managed to run the fewest number of days in any week in 2008 – 3 – and yet still have my highest mileage week on the year with 61.5 miles logged.

The early part of the week was, in a word, lame. I took off Monday with travel from North Carolina and then I came down with a cold that had me feeling awful and on the verge of canceling my trip to Arizona. I did manage to get out on Tuesday for a few miles in an attempt to loosen up after the Mount Mitchell Challenge. While Tuesday was my first run in the La Sportiva Raceblades, I will hold off any commentary until I wear them for a run during which I’m not otherwise feeling awful. I took off both Wednesday and Thursday.

Big cacti on my my Finger Rock Trail excursion.

Within minutes of reaching my hotel in North Tucson, I did what any dedicated trail runner does, I slipped into my running clothes (and my new Raceblades) and set out to explore the local trail system. Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn and ended up running along the roads a good bit. One nice thing about the roads in the Foothills area of Tucson is that they are consistently flanked by actual trails or wide dirt/gravel shoulders that make for good improvised trails. Eventually, I made it to the Finger Rock Trail and explored the first half mile or so of the trail before heading back to my hotel. Two things I noticed during the run other than the tremendous natural beauty of the area was that it was @#$%@ hot for February (we’re talking 80 degrees!?) and that I ran 7 miles the day before a 50 miler. Oops!

I’ll save my account of the Old Pueblo 50 for a full … or at least an abbreviate race report. I’ll just say that I didn’t race it, which allowed me to take many a picture on course. Take a look at my Old Pueblo 50 mile pictures.

Steve and I decided that Sunday was better spent driving up to the top of Mt. Lemmon at the east of of the Catalinas. Whereas Friday and Saturday were hot, I got to play in the snow in Arizona while up on Lemmon!

Comments

1967 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.irunfar.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fweek-of-february-25-march-2-2008.htmlThe+Week+of+February+25+-+March+2%2C+20082008-03-11+01%3A39%3A00Bryon+Powellhttp%3A%2F%2Firunfar.com%2Fthe-week-of-february-25-march-2-2008.php to “The Week of February 25 – March 2, 2008”

red the head like the dick on a dog! Good stuff at Pueblo. May do that one next year. Is it mainly dusty service roads? Some images seem technical terrain which I like most.I live right across Minnesota, about 40 minutes from Minneapolis in a state called Wisconsin also referred to as "SCONNY" or the land that Favre built. Home to some awesome trails, killer lakes for fishing, lots of woods for hunting, and some of the best beer in the world "New Glarus". Although our allies across the pond in Wolverine land makes the best brews that have ever passed my gums (Bell's brewery). May I suggest the Two Hearted, or the Hopslam 12%.I live in the country along side the beautiful St.Croix national scenic riverway just before it meets the confluence of the Mississippi. Good trails to run, and usually kayak across the river to Minnesota as the Afton trails and alps are right across. You may have heard of the gnarly Afton 50k/25k races. However I plan to deport in the near future to even more bountiful and epic landscape, as I plan to move to Duluth, although I'll always be a cheesehead. Trails are epic and endless up there. Northshore, Boundary waters, etc..Let me know if you head up this way. I can give ya red carpet. We have some great races up here. Some that are kind and some technical as living hell, some of the toughest in the country, our trails just don't often get the headlines, but we like it that way. Gimme a holla if you're up in this neck O' the woods. I'll take you on some great runs and/or races.good luck at HAT! you'll be mustard.rock out with yer caulk out~Wynn

Ack *deep breathe*Wynn – I'll get back to you shortly.Tony – tag, no tag backs… haven't your girls taught you anything? ;-) (See my note to Angie.)Angie – I SO want to write an Old Pueblo race report, but seeing as how I left the office to go for a run at 11:30 last night and am still in the office tonight at 11 after showing up at 8 a.m. … that OP50 report might not happen this week. All I've got to say is don't let Ash grow up to be an attorney!

more play less work my friend! Love to get together for some miles with you soon. I'm thinking Sehandoah thru run in april…or the entire C&O…you could come keep me company after leaving work at 11pm…it'd be great!

Loomdog,I ended up working until 3 a.m. that night… I was a slacker yesterday and left work at 9:30. Today and tomorrow won't be very much fun either.There's a better chance that I'm in for an SNP thru run tan a C&O run. I'm not in great shape, but could hopefully coast through the park. Early in the month would work best. Would love to catch up for some miles one way or another. -GoatPs. Did you know that there's a relay race the length of the C&O this fall? If you did it solo you'd have aid stations every few miles.

Yo Wynnman,Hope you stop back in to read this. OP50 is not a very technical race. There are a couple rocky sections later ob, but for the most part, it's not very rocky. Then again, most of my trail running happens on the AT or in the Massanuttens…. so I'm a bit skewed. (If you like technical, come stomp some rocks at MMT!) There are some miles of dusty roads (though more sandy than dusty) at OP50; however, there's lots of pleasant single track. Mmmm.. Bell's. A former roommate whose brother lives in MI turned me on to the stuff. I occasionally treat myself to a sixer of the finer brew. I'll let you know if I'm ever up your way – would love to see the trails up there.